This invention relates to flavor concentrates and is more particularly concerned with improved nut flavor concentrates and with processes for their preparation.
The addition of nut flavors and aromas to a wide variety of food products enhances their acceptability. Nut flavors have been suggested for addition to foods for both human and animal consumption. Unfortunately, most of these products are synthetically derived and possess less than natural flavor profiles.
One food product which could be enhanced by a well rounded nut flavor is defatted nuts, such as produced according to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,003,415 to Ammann and 3,294,549 to Vix et al. Later workers working in this area noted loss of flavor in defatted nuts. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,752 to Baxley, there is disclosed a process which is said to improve the flavor of partially-defatted nuts by quenching them in a flavored oil after roasting. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,236, also to Baxley, it is indicated that the roasted peanut flavor appears to be reduced in proportion to the percentage of the peanut oil removed during the pressing process. According to this patent, the defatted nuts are reconstituted in an aqueous binder solution which can also contain flavors.
Gannis et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,833, also recognized the adverse effect on the flavor and texture of partially-defatted nuts. To correct this, Gannis et al suggested contacting the partially-defatted nuts with a glycerol-containing solution during reconstitution, prior to roasting. They disclosed that after roasting, the treated nuts have improved flavor, texture and storage stability; however, the flavor did not reach the level of full-fat, roasted nuts.
The Gannis et al patent is directed to a process of reconstituting partially defatted nuts by treatment of the latter with an aqueous glycerol solution at a temperature of at least about 150.degree. F. The nuts absorb glycerol, which is postulated to act as a fixative for the flavoring components present in the nuts and to prevent volatilization of the latter during subsequent roasting of the nuts thereby contributing to the improved flavor of the roasted nuts as compared with the flavor of partially defatted nuts roasted without previous treatment with the aqueous glycerol solution. No attempt was described to recover flavor components which might have been present in the aqueous glycerol solution remaining after the reconstitution of the partially defatted peanuts in the above process.
The extraction of raw peanuts with water to remove undesirable flavors from the nuts has been described in Ince U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,140. No recovery of flavor components from the aqueous extract was described.
Studies have been reported to the chemical composition of the volatile compounds isolated from roasted peanuts which compounds are said to be responsible for the flavor of roasted nuts; see Mason et al, J. Agr. Food Chem. 14, 454, 1966; Walrodt et al, ibid, 19, 972, 1971.
It has now been found that a flavor concentrate can be prepared, by a process which is described hereafter, which exhibits all the desirable flavor characteristics of nuts such as peanuts to an enhanced degree. This flavor concentrate can be employed to flavor defatted peanuts and other food materials.